Miranda Rights
by Harlyn
Summary: AU “If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you...” Kagome is a young lawyer, called upon to represent a homeless man accused of murder. Will she be able to protect her client, or will she end up killing him herself?
1. Chapter 1

AN: So I know nothing about the legal system except what I learned from watching "The Exorcism of Emily Rose." I've never even seen Law and Order. I didn't fact-check much, and in some cases ignored the results of said fact-checking because the truth was inconvenient. It's an AU anyway…that's my excuse :-)

I have this story nearly finished, so expect updates very soon.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own InuYasha et al. These badly contorted characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Warnings: AU, some graphic content, mild OOC

**Miranda Rights**

_You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you._

"I've got a tough one for you, here, Kagome", Davis said pleasantly, handing his colleague a thick, manila folder. "Pretty much open-shut. There was a room full of witnesses. You're going to have to get this guy to own up; so far he claims innocent. There might be a good case to be made for insanity, but innocent? No way."

"We shouldn't rule anything out", Kagome replied, paging through the folder as they walked through the hallway of the agency's office. "Rooms full of witnesses have been completely wrong plenty of times before."

"But how many of those cases involved suspects who looked like _this_?" Davis countered, directing her attention to the photos at the front of the stack.

Kagome stopped dead in her tracks. "Um…I see what you mean." The man in the black and white mug shot had a disgruntled expression and hair that hadn't seen scissors in quite some time, but that was about what would be expected of someone who'd reportedly been homeless for over a decade. He was far more distinctive in the color photos also provided. A school photo, a picture of him sitting on the steps of the Salvation Army smiling up at the photographer, and another blurry shot of him with his arm around the shoulders of a dark haired woman. Waist length silver hair, gold eyes. Not hazel, not green, but _gold_. "Tell me that's not his natural hair and eye color…"

" 'Fraid so", Davis responded sympathetically. "Not too much chance of mistaken identity. And the murder took place in a room full of people who knew both him, and the victim."

"Who was the victim?" Kagome asked.

"Kikyou Takani. University student volunteering at the Salvation Army kitchen, where she met, uh, _customer,_ Inuyasha Maru. They got to be friends. Good friends, apparently. She's the one who took that first photo, and she's the girl in the second picture. Then two days ago, he rages into the kitchen completely…high, or something, beats the crap out of her, and, um, chews her throat out. Or at least that's what the witnesses and the autopsy say. And Kagome…" Davis put a hand on her arm to pause her in the act of flipping over the next photo. "It gets weirder. You can turn this case down if you want. If you don't want to work with this guy, everyone will understand."

Kagome gave her coworker a bemused look, and flipped the photo. "Aww, hell." The close-up high school graduation portrait showed a Japanese girl with long hair. Kikyou's dark eyes and genuine smile seemed sad, almost wistful. The girl had been strikingly pretty, and also could easily have been Kagome's twin.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: A few curious google searches recently brought to my attention the existence of a crime-thriller that recently came out, about a homeless man and a young woman who volunteers at a shelter in Burlington, Vermont. It's titled The Double Bind, and I hadn't heard of it until I was nearly 10,000 words into this story. I'll read it when I've finished Miranda Rights, because it sounds good (Great Gatsby characters make cameos! :-) ). It kind of blows my mind that someone set a crime story in Burlington, of all places. It's the biggest city in Vermont, but it only barely qualifies as metropolitan.

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The usual noises of the office provided a comforting background to take the chill off of a decidedly eerie case. The hum of copy machines, people talking…Her friend Sango's justifiably crabby voice could be heard shouting "Miroku! I'm a lawyer, and this is harassment! I'll bring a lawsuit down on your ass if this doesn't stop NOW!"

As Kagome sipped at her morning coffee and looked through the folder, she found herself getting steadily more and more depressed. The defendant seemed sympathetic until you read about the murder. Orphaned at nine, a half-brother fifteen years his senior who'd resigned custody to the state, a series of foster homes, and finally dropping out of high school at sixteen. He'd been a senior; a fluke from switching from Arkansas school systems to Florida had actually put him a year ahead of his age group, and despite a few notes on his record for vandalism, he'd been on the honor roll. Shortly after he dropped out there was a multiple conviction of petty theft and vandalism, followed by a brief period in a home for juvenile delinquents. Since turning eighteen he'd been on the streets, wandering his way up the coast, living off of soup kitchens and odd jobs. Over the last decade he'd picked up one fine for loitering, and a two day stint in jail for trespassing. Finally, three months ago in Burlington, Vermont, at age twenty nine, Inuyasha Maru had met twenty one year old Kikyou Takani.

The bright, idealistic theology student at the University of Vermont had a record like a shooting star. Mediocre academics were more than balanced by persistent, almost obsessive volunteer work. She was a member of the University of Vermont Pan-Christian Coalition, the Faith Without Borders non-denominational religious organization, the Living Wage and Social Justice Alliance, the Thursday Bible Study club, and (Kagome choked on her coffee when she saw it )the Womyn of Vermont Feminist Society. Her career aspiration was quoted as "to serve God through an institution in which women have equal rights". She volunteered regularly at the nursing home closest to campus, and at the Salvation Army soup kitchen, which was where she'd met Maru.

The two had more in common than first glance would reveal; Kikyou had lost her parents when she was eleven. She and her younger sister Kaede had been raised by an "Aunt Carrie" who apparently worked as a barrista at a Starluck coffee house. She had been accepted to Middleview College, but had been unable to attend due to insufficient financial aid.

Kikyou and Maru hit it off at first meeting; Kikyou's coworkers described their relationship as "flirtatious", and said that Inuyasha had "worshiped the ground she walked on." Their relationship hadn't been romantic, but they'd met outside of the kitchen repeatedly for "bible studies". Kikyou had been trying to convert him, which met with dubious success, but she had gotten him to take the GRE. Surprisingly, he'd passed easily. Or not so surprisingly; his wallet contained library cards for public libraries in no less than six different cities.

Then two days ago, Maru came into the soup kitchen during Kikyou's shift, left again apparently upset, and returned to commit an act of senseless violence. The only piece of evidence supporting his innocence was that he'd somehow managed to avoid getting any blood on him, but his finger prints were all over the place. Kagome grimaced at the photos provided. Who killed a woman they supposedly loved, and then literally _chewed_ her throat open? A sociopath, a schizophrenic, or both? She wasn't looking forward to meeting her newest client, but as a public defender she had never turned down a case.

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The man curled up on a cot in the jail cell looked far more pathetic than the smooth sociopath Kagome had expected. His silvery gray hair was restrained by a rubber band into a rats' nest of a ponytail, and his face was turned toward the wall.

"Mr. Maru", Kagome began. "Mr. Maru, my name is Kagome Higurashi. I'm the attorney the state has appointed for you. You can choose whether or not to accept my services, and if you insist, the state will substitute me with one of my colleagues. However, I strongly advise you to work with me."

The bedraggled head slowly turned in her direction. His eyes had dark rings around them, and were red as though he'd been crying. His expression changed to one of shock and horror, and he sat up abruptly and pressed himself against the wall. "Kikyou…" he gasped.

"No, Mr. Maru, my name is Kagome Higurashi. I'm the public defender that's been appointed to your case."

He relaxed, and then slumped. "Of course…" He collapsed back into a modified, upright fetal position.

"Mr. Maru, I need to discuss the details of your case with you…"

"Don't call me that."

"I beg your pardon, Mr. Maru?"

"DON'T call me that!" His eyes wide, he looked up at her, and Kagome took an involuntary step back.

"What would you prefer I call you?"

"Inuyasha. It's just Inuyasha."

"Okay then, Inuyasha. We need to talk about your plea. With a room full of witnesses, you don't have much of a shot pretending to be innocent…"

"I DIDN'T KILL HER!"

Kagome took another step backwards. "You know what, I'm going to leave for now. We'll talk again tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Inuyasha et al are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. This is a work of fanfiction.

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The next morning Kagome came to Inuyasha's cell with Kouga Davis in tow, partly for moral support and partly to give Maru an alternative when her appearance had so obviously upset him. "Thanks for coming with me, Davis", she said quietly as they entered the hallway lined by jail cells.

"No problem, Kagome. I know this case has to be very weird for you. Hey, this evening would you like to get some dinner after work? There's a place I'd like to check out, and I'd rather not go alone."

"Sure, why not?" she acquiesced.

The security guard stifled a snicker at their oddly timed flirting, and opened the door to Inuyasha Maru's cell. "Just give me a holler if you need me, folks. I'll be watching the cameras. This one's got a bit of a temper."

This time they found Maru sitting upright, his head tilted back against the wall. He looked at them as they entered, and gave Kagome a shaky, slightly cocky grin. "Hallo, Ms. Higurashi."

Kagome inhaled sharply. Overall he looked better; his hair had been cleaned and fell around his shoulders. However, her client's dark circles were now accompanied by a black eye and a split lip. "Oh, don't worry, you should see the other guy", he reassured her. "I mean other _guys_; seriously, this is nothing."

Davis frowned. "Is that why there was an ambulance outside?"

"Yep. Three guys tried to jump me in the shower. Oh, they're fine. Or they will be, anyway." The latter comments were directed at Kagome's horrified expression. "One might have a broken collar bone" he added thoughtfully.

"No cannibalism this time, then?" Davis inquired in a dry voice.

Maru's faltering grin disappeared altogether. "That's not funny."

"We apologize, Mr…I mean Inuyasha. It's always unfortunate to see prison stereotypes played out in real life." Kagome interjected quickly. "I came today to discuss with you the possibility of switching your case to my colleague here with me, Kouga Davis. He's an exemplary lawyer, and would do everything that can be done to help you."

"I'm sorry I yelled at you yesterday", Inuyasha said, his face alarmed. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"That's quite all right Mr. Inuyasha. You were understandably distraught. I just would prefer that you were able to confide in your lawyer without unpleasant associations due to certain resemblances."

Inuyasha sorted through Kagome's string of long words as Davis added "I'm nearly as familiar with your case as Ms. Higurashi is, Mr. Maru, and after some discussion we've both agreed that this might be the best option."

"You don't look that much like Kikyou", Inuyasha said, ignoring Davis. "At first, a little, sure, but not that much."

Kagome raised a skeptical eyebrow and Davis fished Kikyou's high school photo out of the manila folder and held it up for Inuyasha to examine. Inuyasha stared at it, and after a long moment admitted, "Your faces are a lot alike. But your voices are different, and no offense, but when I knew her, Kikyou was a lot skinnier than you are."

Kagome choked on a laugh. "Okay then. Are you saying you'd rather I maintained my position as your attorney?"

"Yeah. This joker isn't funny, and I don't want to have to break another lawyer of calling me 'Mr. Maru'."

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When Davis and Kagome left Inuyasha's cell a few minutes later, Davis commented, "Quite a charmer, isn't he."

"Indubitably. Do I need to lose weight, or something?" Kagome asked with a bemused grin.

"Not. At. All. And if you don't eat a lot at dinner tonight, I will personally report you to the human resources department for low self esteem."

"No worries there", Kagome reassured him, laughing. "I should probably go check with the guards about the business with the fight in the bathroom, and start interviewing psychiatrists."

"Okay, I'll see you this evening, then. And if this guy starts getting to you, just let me know. If you decide to give up the case, his preference doesn't make a difference."

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The next morning Kagome showed up bright and early at Inuyasha's cell. She was in a terrible mood; she'd slept poorly, with nightmares she couldn't remember, and most of the previous day she'd had the creepy sensation that someone was watching her. The feeling of a presence had vanished abruptly for the duration of her date with Davis…_Kouga_, she belatedly corrected herself. He'd requested that she call him by his first name. They'd eaten their pasta, joked about some of the terrible movies that had come out recently, and Kagome had made a point of ordering dessert. It had felt more like a meal between friends than a date, and she'd quite enjoyed herself. But then she'd taken the subway home, and the _presence _had returned.

Moreover, the media was giving the case significant air-time, and she was forced to turn the television off altogether. She was already better informed than any reporter, and didn't wish to watch the overall ugly coverage of the tragedy, the analysis by assorted public figures, or tearful testimonies to the flawlessness of Kikyou Takani's character. After all, she had to work with the man.

Now Inuyasha, who was apparently not a morning person, was being difficult. "You're going to be interrogated today", she informed him. "I'll be present the entire time, unless you ask me to leave, which I advise you NOT to do. There are some things you should know beforehand, so that you won't admit to anything by accident. You can keep claiming innocence for now, but we'll have a discussion about that before your next interrogation."

"I didn't fucking kill her!" Angry yellow eyes fixed on her.

"That's just FINE for now, but we will DISCUSS that before your next interrogation!" Kagome snapped back, not in the mood for attitude.

"I don't need your condescending pity!"

"I really don't pity you, Inuyasha", Kagome informed him in honest seriousness. "I've had clients who were arrested by racist cops just because they couldn't prove themselves innocent, I've had a client who was assaulted and accidently killed her attacker in _self defense_, I've had clients with childhoods that make yours look like a walk in the park. You're one of the least sympathetic characters I've defended in my entire career!"

He frowned at her, his anger reduced to sullen resignation. "What's biting you? You weren't acting like such a bitch yesterday."

"Would you prefer to talk to Kouga?"

"NO. I won't confess, but other than that you can tell me what to say."

"Good. We're getting somewhere. This could easily go on for five, six hours minimum; we've both got an unpleasant afternoon in front of us, but you especially. First thing you need to know is that they're going to lie to you. They want a confession. It's a pretty terrible case already, but they'll make it seem even worse than it is. Your drug and alcohol tests were commendably negative, and the DNA results haven't come in yet. The boy on forensics has a bit of a crush on me, so when they do, I'll be the first to know. You don't have to worry if they try to tell you otherwise."

"Wait, DNA evidence?" Inuyasha interrupted. "They mentioned something about cannibalism when they arrested me, but did the killer rape her, too? In the SOUP KITCHEN?! That's absolutely sick…"

"No." Kagome rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her hair. "That kind of act won't work; you might as well skip it. They're testing the…erm, saliva…left on her throat. Moving on, they'll want to hear about the argument you two had right before the killing, and I'd advise you not to mention your little fight in the bathroom yesterday, although they'll probably already know. If you've had any other violent episodes in the past, avoid talking about it if possible. Don't lie, but if they bring it up just say that that you've got some painful memories that you prefer not to reflect on. Only…not in those words." She hesitated. "Also, they're going to be trying to upset you. They're going to tell you in detail about things you'd probably prefer not to hear."

"And I need to not blow up, right?"

"Actually, for the case I'm trying to build, blowing up might be exactly the best thing you can do", Kagome admitted.

"So you WANT me to act like an out of control, aggressive, psycho?"

"Better a 'psycho' than a psychopath…but I guess I'll leave that up to you."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Inuyasha et al are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. This is a work of fanfiction.

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Kagome was an extremely empathic individual, which was part of what made her such a good public defender. No matter how different her clients were from her in background or personality, and no matter how horrific their crimes had been, she always ended up emotionally attached and doing her best for them in court. However, her ability to put herself in her clients' shoes also made interrogations extremely exhausting.

The room was mostly concrete, with a sturdy table bolted to the floor. The lighting was purposefully peculiar, designed to increase the stress placed on the suspect. Kagome knew and hated these rooms with a passion. Looking through the one-way glass, she saw Inuyasha already seated at the chair behind the desk, hands cuffed behind the seat. The primary interrogator was also in the room, looking bored as he waited for Kagome and his partner to join them.

"I can't say it's good to see you again, Ms. Higurashi. Same rules as always", the secondary interrogator told Kagome. "You have your tape-recorder, we have ours, try not to interrupt if you don't have to, and don't speak for the client. The only thing you're allowed to say is "I advise you to remain silent."

"Understood", Kagome agreed. "Let's get this over with."

The older man twisted open a container of Ibuprofen, popped four in his mouth, and offered the jar to Kagome. She declined with a polite gesture. "This is the part of my job I hate the most", the investigator admitted. "Those stupid lights…I get a migraine every fucking time."

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The interrogation was just as nasty as she'd feared it would be. Some of the questions were very basic.

**"How were you acquainted with Miss Takani?"**

"She was my friend. We met at the soup kitchen, where she was a volunteer."

**"She was a volunteer; what were you doing there?"**

"I'm homeless and unemployed. I was there to eat. Later, I was there to see Kikyou."

**"What did she think of you stalking her?"**

There was a pause. "I wasn't stalking her. She invited me to come back after the first time; she wanted to talk to me about God."

**"And what did you think of her efforts to convert you?"**

"It was kind of cute. I would have been a Christian, for her."

**"You loved her?"**

"Yes."

**"Did you sleep with her?"**

"No."

**"Did you want to?"**

"That's none of your business."

**"Okay then…what did you think of her that you're willing to share?"**

"I love…loved her. She was beautiful and very good; she cared about me, and not just because she was a Christian. She was the best friend I've ever had."

**"Did she think you were her friend?"**

"Yes."

**"How do you know?"**

"She would talk to me…about her life, and what she wanted. Tell me things."

**"Did she tell you about her boyfriends?"**

"She didn't have any."

**"Are you sure about that?**

"Pretty sure. She thought the boys who wanted to date her were mostly after sex."

**"But you weren't?"**

"I loved her for_ smiling _at me."

**"Totally pure, then?"**

"That's Kikyou. I'm just a man."

**"Not a vampire?"**

"You know, the thought of being a vampire has never occurred to me. I like garlic."

**"Haha. What about a werewolf?"**

"Mortal human, son of Adam, no magic powers or animal parts of any kind."

**"Okay, we get it. So if you two were such good friends, what made you fight?"**

"What are you talking about?"

**"The witnesses, the people at the soup kitchen the day she was killed, said you came in while she was working, and that the two of you argued. What did you argue about?"**

"She…was upset. She said some things I don't think she meant."

**"Like what?"**

"She said that…she didn't want to see me. She told me to go away."

**"And what did you do?"**

"I think I called her a bitch, I don't really remember. And I left."

**"Were you going to come back?"**

"Yes. My feelings were hurt, but I figured she was upset. I'd come back the next day and we'd both apologize, and she'd tell me what was really wrong."

**"She told you to stop stalking her. She told you to leave, and that she never wanted to see you again."**

"…yeah."

**"She called you creepy, and said you'd been following her."**

"…"

**"What do you think of that?"**

"I think she was upset. I don't think she meant it."

**"But she did say those things?"**

"Yes."

Kagome winced. This wasn't going well, at all. She hadn't known some of this information, wished her client had confided in her more, and that he would stop confirming incriminating hearsay.

**"All right then, what happened after you stormed out?"**

"Skulked out, is more accurate. Tail definitely between my legs. I went for a walk. I cooled off, and started being worried. I guessed someone had been following Kikyou, and that she thought it was me. I wanted to check up on her, but wasn't sure it was a good idea, since that might scare her worse."

**"So you came back?"**

"No. The police showed up. A guy I knew from the kitchen, Jineji, was in the back seat. He identified me, and called me some things. I was arrested, and they told me Kikyou was dead."

**"You didn't argue with them."**

"What would be the point? Kikyou was dead. It was all over."

**"Then why are you arguing with us?"**

"Am I? I guess it's because of that thing in the bathroom the other day."

Kagome suppressed a sigh. _Inuyasha…_

**"You got into a fight with three other men."**

"Yeah."

**"What was the fight about?"**

"…"

**"Never mind. Two of those men had to be hospitalized."**

"I don't feel bad for them at all. It was three on one, and they started it. And only one of them had to be hospitalized, the other was just being a pussy."

**"And that…violence…reminded you that you had something to live for?"**

"Yeah, I guess."

**"How was it you were able to beat up three men on your own?"**

"I spent time in Juvie. That place was a lot rougher than any temporary jail facility, no joke."

**"Hmm…Did you get into the fight just to demonstrate that you don't normally bite people in the neck?"**

"Christ, who do you think I am, White Fang?"

**"Come again?"** The secondary interrogator muttered something in his partner's ear. "**Oh, haha. Right, you're supposed to be a smart one, aren't you. If you're so smart, how do you explain the fifteen-odd eye witnesses who saw you brutally murder Kikyou Takani?"** He pulled some color photos out of a manila envelope of his own, and spread them across the table. The photos Kagome had were taken from the autopsy, when the corpse had already been cleaned and was draped in a sterile mortician's sheet. These were taken by the forensics team, fresh after the murder. It was…gory. A head wound had left blood all over, her throat was a similarly bloody mess, and one or two bones didn't look like they were in the correct direction. The body was still crumpled on the floor like a broken doll, and the eyes…were still open.

**"Maybe this will remind you. You came back, turned her around and punched her in the face. Then you stepped on her wrist, breaking it, picked her up again breaking her other arm in the process, and for some reason decided to bite her throat and chew on it for a while. Then you threw her against the wall, and it was actually when her head hit a table as she went down that killed her. The only thing more despicable is that in a room full of people, no one tried to stop you. Then you left, and were picked up by the police shortly afterward. Hey! Open your eyes, you bastard, and look at the fucking photographs! You did it, you should have the stomach to look at it!" **

Inuyasha had flinched and squeezed his eyes closed as soon as the photos had been produced. Now, tension radiating from every line of his body, he opened them again, and slowly surveyed the graphic pictures in front of him. He returned his gaze to the investigators, but there was something unnatural about the quality of his stillness. Kagome felt an intense wave of nausea in sympathy. She had expected him to go into a rage, like the times she had suggested that he'd killed Kikyou, but instead he just looked like he was about to cry.

**"How do you explain the DNA evidence confirming you as the killer?"**

"I'll bet."

**"You know,**_** I'll**_** bet if we hooked you up to a polygraph right now, a lie detector, it would only confirm what we already know. As if we didn't have enough evidence as it was. Maybe we should do it, and then you'll start singing a different tune."**

"Please! By all means, bring on a fucking lie detector!"

Kagome mentally groaned again, and wished she'd accepted the Ibuprofen. It wasn't like polygraphs were admissible in court. They didn't prove anything.

When, a few hours later Inuyasha's polygraph test had proven that her client was at least an effective liar (the interrogators told him it was proof of his guilt—most sociopaths test innocent), they started round two. Inuyasha had killed Kikyou, and just didn't _remember _it. Kagome had warned him about this tactic, and he only seemed to become steadily more annoyed.

**"You say you didn't kill her, but how do you**_** know**_**?"**

"…Because I know. I remember where I was and what I was thinking about."

**"You have no alibi, and memory is a shifty thing. How do you know?"**

"Are you calling me crazy?"

**"Actually, yes."**

"Well, fuck you. If I can't trust my own mind, I'm certainly not going to trust yours."

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	5. Chapter 5

AN: This should have been updated ages ago. I swear on the nonexistent Shikon that future chapters will be far more prompt.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha et al are not, in any way, shape or form, my property. This is a work of fanfiction.

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After the interrogation was finally over for the day, Inuyasha was escorted by an officer to the showers. He was covered in sweat, and the institution had decided it was better to have him bathe in isolation than to face a repeat of the previous morning.

Kagome ducked outdoors to pick up some food. The sun was setting, and the summer's humidity was settling into a pleasant coolness. She went to a nearby bagel shop, bought a half dozen assorted bagels and two sandwiches, and headed back to the jail. While she was paying, she saw in her peripheral vision a dark figure standing in the vestibule, apparently deciding whether or not to enter. Something about the shape was familiar. _Davis?_ She wondered. When she turned around, it was gone, but the entire trip back she couldn't shake the feeling of being followed.

Inuyasha was back in his cell, lying on his stomach with his face pressed into his pillow.

"Inuyasha?"

"Go away." His voice was muffled and emotionless.

"Hey, I brought you some food."

He turned to look at her. "Why?"

"You're my client", she explained briskly. "Until you've been proven guilty you're innocent, and it doesn't matter who you've killed. And I know what prison food is like."

He sat up slowly, chanting in a quiet but audible voice, "Condescending, sanctimonious, patronizing _bitch_…"

"You know what? If you can use the word 'sanctimonious' in a sentence, I shouldn't _have_ to patronize you. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself and eat the fucking sandwich."

Kagome handed him said sandwich. He accepted it with a short laugh, and she sat carefully on the ground, leaning against the wall. They unwrapped their respective meals, and Kagome stared at hers, trying to make herself hungry.

"What the fuck is this stuff?"

"You're language is less than endearing", she reprimanded him. "What stuff?"

"This pink stuff. Is this fish?"

"Yes, it's called lox. It's good for you, and it's delicious, and I'm not giving you anything else until you've at least tried it."

"Who puts fish on a bagel?" He took an experimental bite, then another. " 'Ey! This is pretty good." He ate the rest of the sandwich, and she gave him all but one of the remaining bagels. "Thank you." He looked her in the eye when he said it, and she suspected he was thanking her for more than just the food.

"You're welcome", she replied a little awkwardly. "We also need to discuss what we're going to do about your case. When the DNA tests come back positive, do you intend to change your story? If so, how?"

"What if they come back negative?" He asked the question very seriously.

Kagome answered in an equally serious tone, "Then I will eat my words and owe you an apology. But let's assume worst case scenario, and they come back positive?"

Their conversation was interrupted as the guard opened the door to the cell. "Excuse me, but Mr. Maru has a visitor.

"So?" Kagome asked, at the same time as Inuyasha said, "Who is it?"

"He claims to be Mr. Maru's brother."

"Aw, fuck, no." With that disgusted declaration, Inuyasha flopped backward onto his cot.

"Is there any reason it would be beneficial for you to see him?" Kagome asked.

"No, not that it'll make a difference. Fucking ghost of useless past, present and future all rolled into one…"

"In that case", Kagome addressed the guard. "My client's had a long day, and I really don't see why this can't wait until morning."

"Hmn, I'm not sure that it's your place to decide." A cool voice, accompanied by an equally cool demeanor, strolled into the room.

Inuyasha didn't even bother to look up. "Fuck off, Sesshoumaru."

"Excuse me! How did he get in here!" Kagome was starting to get angry. She turned to the man who'd just intruded. His appearance marked him as obviously related to her client, and Inuyasha only had one living relative. Inuyasha's half brother appeared far younger than his forty-some years of age. His hair was the same distinctive silvery grey as Inuyasha's, but the silky length that fell to his shoulder blades looked completely different on the older man. He was taller, thinner, and had features that were delicate to the point of femininity. His expensive looking slacks and button up shirt combined with his natural grace to give an effect of androgynous sophistication, a polar opposite to Inuyasha's literally bum-like appearance.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Higurashi", the police officer said desperately. "He wasn't supposed to follow me."

"Wasn't supposed to…Mr. Maru, as the attorney assigned to the younger Mr. Maru by the state, I believe it is _my place_, as you say, to request that you leave. You have no right to visit my client unless he agrees beforehand, and then it needs to be with the permission of the prosecution. You are breaking so many rules, and in so many ways, Mr. Maru.

"_Don't _call me that!" Kagome held back an involuntary grin; maybe they were brothers, after all. But he continued. "Inuyasha wears the last name of his mother, with whom I share no relation. My name is Sesshoumaru Segihara, and I assure you that the private attorney I replace you with will be entirely competent to deal with the mores of the prosecution."

"…Come again?"

"I can more than afford to hire a properly trained lawyer, instead of relying on a court appointed, half-trained _law-student. _Although clearing my half-brother's name is probably out of the question, we can at least get this quickly and respectably resolved and out of the news, in a manner that doesn't end with one of my direct relatives facing the death penalty."

"Inuyasha", Kagome said sharply, her lips pressed tightly together, "Would you like to take this man up on his offer to find a replacement for me as your attorney?"

Inuyasha's opinion on the idea was gratifying and to the point, if not anatomically possible.

"Hmn. Perhaps we should wait until tomorrow morning to reexamine this matter, after all." He turned on his heel and left. The guard gave Kagome a helpless look (_incompetent_, she judged viscously) and followed.

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After Sesshoumaru Segihara swept out of the room, Kagome and Inuyasha eyed each other in wary silence for a minute, as Inuyasha waited for her reaction and Kagome tried unsuccessfully to hold in a heartfelt snark. "What is it with your family and prematurely grey hair?"

Inuyasha wasn't fazed—it was probably a question he'd heard many times before. "You know, I've been told it's exotically attractive."

"By whom, your mother?"

"No, by _your_ mother."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I'm officially quitting this conversation."

"Do you always flirt with your clients this much?" he asked.

"No, and I don't flirt with you, either. I don't suppose we can pin the murder on _him_, somehow…" Her cell phone vibrated, and she pulled it out of her purse to check the caller ID. It was the forensics lab. "Hold on a minute", she told Inuyasha, and answered the call. "Hello, this is Kagome Higurashi…oh…Are you sure?...Okay, then. Thank you, you've been a big help, Hojo." She looked at Inuyasha and frowned, badly shaken by what she'd just learned.

"What are _you_ looking at?" Inuyasha complained, feeling a little unsettled.

"The results just came in for the DNA tests on the saliva. They were negative"


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I said it would be updated quickly :-) This is a short transition chapter. The action should pick up again soon. This also marks the end of my original inspiration. Most of this story until now was written in the course of a few hours (when I desperately needed to be studying for my organic chem exam…stupid, pushy plot bunnies). The rest was written at a much slower pace. I hope the quality doesn't change much.

Usual disclaimers apply.

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Inuyasha stared. Then he grinned. "I knew it, I knew it, I KNEW IT!"

"Knew what?"

"That I wasn't crazy, oh God…can I go now?"

"No", Kagome informed him regretfully. "There are still fifteen eye witnesses swearing themselves blue that you're guilty, and that's not something to sneeze at. Even these days, DNA evidence isn't trusted a hundred percent. You're still a suspect, and you even might go to trial. Also, if the real killer goes after someone else, the last place you want to be is on the streets. You'll be the prime suspect all over again."

"…Fuck. Then what's changed?"

"Now, if you go to trial, you'll _win_. Also…" She knelt down so they were eye level, face to face. "Now you have a lawyer who completely believes you're telling the truth. This is me eating my words, Inuyasha, and I am very, very sorry."

He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, then leaned forward, grabbed her head, and kissed her on the mouth. She froze, but he'd already pulled back.

"Hey!"

Inuyasha's expression could only be described as smug. "First of all, _now_ you've eaten your words. Secondly, I told you so."

"Asstard", she muttered under her breath.

"What kind of an insult is that, bitch?"

"I'm going home." She stood up, brushing the dust off of her skirt from where she'd been kneeling on the ground.

"Hey, give me a break. I thought I was going to _die_."

"Everyone dies, Inuyasha. But not you just yet. I'm really happy for you."

"What am I supposed to do, now?" Inuyasha complained.

"Get some sleep", she advised. "In a few hours, detectives are going to be knocking at your door, looking to interview you."

"What?! Why the fuck aren't I done with all that?"

"You know, if you cleaned up your language, you'd make me a very happy attorney." Somewhere in the back of her exhausted mind, Kagome realized that she was in fact flirting with her client, and gave herself a mental shake and an instruction to stop. "They won't be here to interrogate you. They'll take you to a comfortable room, and very respectfully ask you to give them any information you can about other people who knew Kikyou, and what happened that afternoon."

"To catch the real killer", he said, catching on. "Will you be there, too?"

"Yes." She yawned. "Unfortunately. Goodnight, Inuyasha."

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Kagome returned to her flat, realized the time, and gave up on getting any sleep. Yawning, she set a kettle of water to boil, and pulled out a thick stack of paperwork. She decided that she might as well use the time to go through Inuyasha's psychological evaluation in depth, when before she'd only had time for a quick skim. Some other assorted paperwork was also backing up, since she'd put everything on hold for the Takani-Maru case.

When the kettle started to whistle, she returned to the kitchen just in time to see a face ducking out of view in her window. Forgetting about the boiling water, she stood frozen in place for a moment, before snapping into action. With a few quick steps she reached the window, and peered outside. The kitchen in her second story apartment overlooked the Complex's parking lot. A person could have easily reached the window by standing on the car parked below, and it was behind the building where passersby wouldn't have noticed anything odd. However, now the parking lot seemed completely empty of anyone but silent, sleeping cars.

That dark, curly hair had looked familiar… Opening the window, she stuck her head out and called, "Davis? Kouga Davis? If that's you, this is truly not funny." Slamming the window shut again and locking it, she fervently hoped that her sleep-deprived imagination was playing tricks on her. The kettle's whistle was becoming more shrill and urgent, so she turned off the heat, and then proceeded to check the locks on all of her windows and doors before finally making her tea.

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The next morning was hopelessly cloudy and grey. It was supposedly summer, but Kagome nonetheless wearing a sweater and shivering as she got off the bus to make the remaining two-block walk the agency's office. It was only five in the morning, so she was surprised to find that someone had already made coffee.

After pouring herself a cup, Kagome found Sango in her cubicle, going through a thick stack of old newspapers. Her hair was wet, as though she'd recently showered. Kagome tapped on the wall and asked "What has you up so early?"

Sango looked up, startled. "Oh, hi Kagome. Miroku, partly." She rolled her eyes. "I don't think I'll get as much work done as I want to, after he shows up. And I'm going into court tomorrow, so work _needs _to get done. How are you? Davis was telling me about your case the other day; sounds like a real pill."

"It's actually not as hopeless as we all thought", Kagome admitted. "The DNA evidence is supporting Inuyasha's story."

"Inuyasha, hmm?"

"He won't respond to his last name, to put it mildly. Anyway, it might not be my case for much longer. His brother showed up last night; apparently he's got money, and he's pretty determined to replace me with a 'real lawyer."

"Eww. I know the type", Sango commiserated. "Hey, bring your computer over here and we can work together until Kagura shows up."

Kagome fetched her laptop as suggested, and the two women worked in companionable silence. Curious to see what she might be facing, before she began her more serious work of going through legal archives to see what kind of precedent there was for conflicting DNA and eyewitness evidence, Kagome ran an Internet search on Sesshoumaru Segihara. She misspelled his name twice before giving up and checking her file on Inuyasha—armed with the correct arrangement of letters, she repeated the search. From his arrogant bearing she'd expected to find some variety of corporate hotshot. The reality was…unexpected.

Somehow she had a hard time wrapping her mind around Inuyasha's brother as the nation's preeminent classical violist.

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Shortly after Kagura arrived for work she called Kagome into her office. Kagura Markowitz was the senior partner in the public agency that employed Kagome; effectively, her boss. "So I've received an irate email from the brother of your client", she began. "He has a number of things to say about you, the kindest of which are "immature" and "rude."

Kagome winced. "I may have been rude, but under the circumstances it was called for."

"Do you realize that you've managed to piss off _Sesshoumaru Segihara?"_

"I take it you're a fan of Classical music?"

"You would be too, if you'd ever heard this man play", Kagura vehemently assured her. "I can't believe his brother is a homeless criminal."

"Actually, the DNA evidence came in last night, effectively clearing my client", Kagome offered. "Segihara might let it go once he realizes Inuyasha will probably never go to trial."

"…Weren't there something like a dozen eye witnesses?"

"Uh huh."

Kagura made a disgusted noise. "Typical."

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AN: The insult "asstard" was taken from the webcomic "Casey and Andy", written by Andy Weir. It signifies an individual who is predictably annoying but not actually a bad person. It might actually be protected under copyright, so that's disclaimed as well. :-)


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Well, this took a long time to update. I rewrote some of these scenes multiple times, before I figured out how I wanted to go. And…RL happened. So it goes. As an unimportant note, I've started using trademarked names in this chapter whereas before I was modifying them ala WacDonalds, because it was starting to get silly. Sorry for the wait :-)

Disclaimer: InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Nyquil and I-Pods belong to their respective owners. This is a work of fanfiction, and a fairly far-fetched one at that :-)

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Detectives Sandra Ivanova and Mitch Makenna were both well over six feet tall, dwarfing both Kagome and her client. In their respectful manner, they were far more intimidating than the confrontational interrogators. Now that Inuyasha was viewed as a potentially valuable source of information instead of just as the only suspect in a virtually closed case, they had requested a meeting. The jailhouse had a room specifically designed for less formal interviews with prisoners. It was comfortable, with two couches and carpeting, but the windows were reinforced with steel bars.

Inuyasha found himself blinking at the sudden exposure to natural lighting, albeit the watered down sunshine of a cloudy Vermont morning. He was seated on one of the couches as Kagome introduced herself to the detectives and claimed a perch on one of the couch's arms. She had advised him that the detectives were effectively looking out for his best interests; once they found the real killer, he would be released. It was to his advantage to answer their questions as completely as possible, including as many details as he could. Private or trivial information could prove to be very relevant; they would want to hear everything he knew about Kikyou, and her experiences in the week or so prior to her death.

"Let's jump right into things", Detective Ivanova began. "Mr. Maru, to the best of your knowledge, was Ms. Takani suffering from an eating disorder?"

"No. A lot of people thought she did, but no."

"Allright. Did she do drugs?"

"No!"

"Think about this very carefully—was she addicted to anything? Other than Nyquil?"

"How the fu…" Inuyasha caught himself, and made eye contact with Kagome before continuing. "How do you know about that?"

"We searched her apartment", Detective Makenna answered. "The autopsy didn't reveal any drug use, or any Nyquil for that matter, but the woman carried enough of the stuff to knock out all of Burlington."

"She had trouble getting to sleep", Inuyasha snapped. "It's not a crime."

"Here's how we see it: everyone tells us this girl is a saint, but no one seems to know her personally except her pastor and a homeless man. For someone so involved, that's abnormal. Suggests she's hiding something. She's always on the go, doesn't eat and doesn't sleep. Now that's not likely unless you're on something. We already know she was abusing over–the-counter medicines, and your average churchgoing preps don't get murdered unless they've got drugs connections. Some kind of designer amphetamines, maybe?"

"We're not suggesting that you were connected", Ivanova interrupted, "But if you two were close, you might have seen signs."

"Look, where do you think she'd have gotten the money?" Inuyasha shook his head. "She was a student, and pretty much broke. She couldn't even cross the street without a fricking crosswalk, no way she'd break a real law. I mean she was a bit of an oddball, but that was Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, not drugs or anorexia or…whatever."

"OCD", Ivanova said meditatively, and traded a glance with a her partner that clearly said, _Why didn't we know about this?_ "Like, hand-washing? Rituals?"

"No", was Inuyasha's short response.

"Was she diagnosed by a medical doctor?"

"I don't know. That's just what she told me, but she didn't have insurance, so she didn't spend much time with doctors."

"If not rituals, what was the extent of her illness?"

"Look, how about you go check on her medical history, and then come back if you have any more questions for me, yeah?"

A glance was exchanged between the two detectives, before Makenna agreed, "We can live with that."

Kagome escorted Inuyasha and his guard back to his cell in silence. She and her client were both lost in thought, and the guard never seemed to talk much. She idly wondered if he minded being treated like armed furniture, and resolved to learn his name at some point. In the meantime, there was something else on her mind.

"Inuyasha, there's something I need to ask you about."

"None of your business."

She met his yellow gaze with a puzzled look. "Maybe not, but it would help. And you don't even know what I was going to say." The cell door closed.

"Her problems are none of…"

"Your social security card?"

He shot her a glare, as though she'd set him up on purpose, and seated himself on his cot.

"There are some irregularities with your social security card", she said mildly.

"Irregularities? What're you going on about? I just don't have one."

"I'm sorry, but I refuse to believe that. Just because you don't know where it is doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"If it does, I've never seen it. I was born on a reservation; I don't think I've got one."

"That doesn't make a difference", Kagome insisted. "And we have your social security number, we got it from your high school. It's just the paper that's missing." She shrugged. "I'll try and track it down for you."

"Don't bother. It's not your job."

_That would probably be a thank you…_ "You know", Kagome mused out loud. "You haven't sworn, or called me any names, all day." She realized belatedly that her observation could easily be taken as an invitation for continued bad behavior.

Instead of the stream of four letter words she'd expected, he frowned up at her and said, "You asked me not to, yeah?"

_I did? _"Thank you, then. I'll see you tomorrow, Inuyasha." Disproportionately pleased, it took a phone conversation with Sesshoumaru Segihara to wipe the smile off her face.

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It had been another very long day, but she could now say that Sesshoumaru definitively did not have Inuyasha's social security card. On the other hand, the Juvenile Hall in Tallahassee _did_. Kagome yawned as she sorted through the diverse collection of tea she kept in her kitchen, retrieving a box of fruity, herbal blends. She shut the cupboard door and put a kettle of water on the stovetop burner. The cupboard door swung silently open again, as did all the other cupboard doors.

No longer sleepy, Kagome froze in her actions. Just a fluke of the air circulation, she reassured herself. The doors simultaneously swung shut, making a sharp clap. Kagome gripped the counter top to prevent herself from jumping, took a few deep breaths, and proceeded with her evening routine. If it was a freaky air current there was nothing to be upset about, and if her apartment was haunted there wasn't much she could do.

A few minutes later, washing her makeup off in the bathroom, she looked into the mirror to see someone else looking back. "EEEEEEEEP!" This time she couldn't restrain the jump-reflex, and she found herself colliding with the wall.

The intruder in the reflection looked around the bathroom with mild interest, before focusing on Kagome. "Hello…hello."

"Um, hi", Kagome replied, with a hand pressed to her still-racing heart. "Ghost of Kikyou Takani?" It was an easy guess; the young woman in the mirror could have passed for a slightly younger version of Kagome. Her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail, and her U of V sweatshirt reminded Kagome that this girl in the reflection was just that; a girl. A college-kid with an unusually strong personality and terrible luck.

"That would be me", Kikyou agreed. She placed a hand up against the glass and asked, "Let me through the mirror?"

"Was that you in the kitchen?"

"Yes", Kikyou admitted. "I was testing how much I could influence physical things. Also, the more I do, the farther I can get into your reality. If I hadn't done the trick with the cupboards, you wouldn't be able to see me now. If you let me through, I can talk to you for longer."

Ignoring the dire warnings coming from her recollections of innumerable horror movies, Kagome followed her instincts which were telling her _this girl is harmless,_ and touched her fingertips to the mirror.

Kikyou grasped her hand (or at least appeared to; Kagome couldn't feel any physical contact) and pulled herself into the bathroom, where she seated herself rather primly on the countertop edge. "Thank you", she said. "I'm not sure I'd have trusted me, if I were you."

"Uh huh", Kagome replied, looking with alarm at the mirror, where her actual reflection was still absent without leave. "Don't make me regret it."

"I need you to tell Inuyasha for me that I'm sorry."

"Why don't you tell him yourself?"

Kikyou made a face, a surprising change from her previous, overly serious poker-face. "I tried. I tried for _hours_, but the man doesn't have a spiritually intuitive bone in his body."

"That somehow doesn't surprise me."

"Anyway, I said some really awful things to him. When that creep got really close to me I could see that he wasn't Inuyasha, but it was too late. So…" She reached behind her neck to unclasp a thin, gold chain. "Give him this, tell him I'm sorry and I love him and wish him the greatest happiness in life…and tell him to follow his heart, and when he comes to die he won't regret it."

Kikyou handed her a small, locket, engraved with two interwoven K's. Kagome noted that unlike the ghost, it seemed to have a solid weight.

Kikyou's expression suddenly turned very sour. "Also, there are three different men watching your apartment from the parking-lot, through the kitchen window. You should take care of that. Be careful, Kagome; I wish I'd known you when I was alive, but I don't want to see you over here anytime soon."

The fluorescent light flickered, and Kagome realized with a start that her reflection had resumed its normal position in the mirror, and the ghost was gone. _Three men in the parking-lot, hmm?_

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Slamming the window open, Kagome peered into the parking lot. She was afraid she was going to end up waking a few neighbors, but felt that under the circumstances she was entirely justified. "Hey! Assholes! I know you're out there, come into the open where I can see you!"

Nothing moved.

Hoping that Kikyou hadn't been playing a prank, Kagome listened to the crickets chirping in the still night air. After a few minutes, she heard a faint scuffle from behind a parked minivan that belonged to one of her neighbors. "Hey!" she shouted again. "You behind the minivan, if you don't come out now, I'm calling the police."

A very sheepish, sweatsuit-clad Kouga Davis emerged with his hands in the air. "It's really not what it looks like, I promise…"

"What the fuck, Davis!"

"I was out jogging, and I realized that this was your apartment complex, and then I saw you in the window completely at random. Obviously I didn't know which room was yours until then, and I was somewhat surprised so I watched you for a moment, and yes I hid when you came to the window because I knew if you saw me you'd freak out exactly the way you're freaking out right now…"

Feeling like she was playing a very weird, scary game of "Where's Waldo", she noticed something odd about one of the trees next to the street.

"Your friendship is very important to me…" Kouga began, but was promptly interrupted.

"You in the tree, your shoelaces are untied. I can see the laces hanging. Same story; if you don't come down now, I'll call the police."

For the second time that night, a dumbfounded Kagome found herself hearing the words "It's really not what it looks like…" It was Hojo, the sweet boy from the forensics lab. Or not so sweet—he was wearing a pair of binoculars around his neck.

"Oh, good God, kill me now", Kouga muttered.

"Did either of you two notice anyone else out here?" Kagome asked.

"I didn't even know _he_ was there", Kouga complained.

"I got here before he did", Hojo confirmed. "And he seemed like he was only passing through. I haven't seen anyone else, so I guess that makes me the real pervert here tonight…" Kagome didn't entirely buy his shamefaced act. How many times had this supposedly upstanding young man spied on her while she cooked herself dinner? At least the architect who'd designed her apartment hadn't put any windows in the bathroom.

Kagome wasn't sure how much of the story was true; Kikyou had said that three men were watching her window _before _she'd entered the kitchen. She'd been making tea earlier, but that had been some time ago. For Kouga to have continued watching indicated more than the casual, accidental curiosity he would have her believe. However, he was at least dressed in clothes appropriate for exercise, and there were more important issues at hand. Like the other two men still hidden in the parking lot far out the window as she could manage while maintaining balance, she checked the fire escape, and scanned the rest of the parking lot but didn't notice anything else out of place. The third peeping tom had apparently already left. "Okay. Kouga, go home. I'll talk to you tomorrow. And Hojo, if I ever catch you anywhere near my apartment ever again, you'll be looking at a restraining order. Understood?"

After the two men had left, she closed the window and again checked all of the locks in her apartment. She mused grimly that she should count herself fortunate. Kikyou's stalker had been a criminal with murderous intent, whereas Kagome's pet perverts seemed to be principally smitten boys with cooking fetishes.

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The next morning, Kagome cringed as she noticed the blue sports-car in the office parking lot. She didn't normally take notice of her coworkers' vehicles, but Kouga's was unmistakable. She'd come to work early in the hopes of dodging him; she was not looking forward to the conversation she'd scheduled the previous evening. She wasn't entirely sure what she was going to say, and dreaded the inevitable awkward mess.

She opened the door slowly, and observing that the coast was clear, walked down the hallway as rapidly as her high heels would allow. Kouga was at the copy machine, and didn't notice her passing by. She would collect her computer, drop by Sango's cubicle, and be on her way. There were no laws prohibiting a lawyer doing paperwork in her client's holding cell, and even Inuyasha's company would be an acceptable tradeoff for delaying unpleasantness. Kagome had no qualms fighting her hardest in court, or taking on the most aggressive of prosecutors, but personal conflict was not her area of expertise. She generally preferred to ignore problems, or avoid them.

Kagome dodged Kouga no less than three times before she made it to Sango's, once having to duck into a bathroom. It was amazing; she'd never run into him so many times. Once or twice she'd only caught sight of him from behind, so it was possible someone else had just adopted a similar hairstyle, but she wasn't taking any chances.

"Hey Kagome!" Sango greeted her cheerfully. Loudly.

"Shh! Keep it down, I'm trying to avoid Davis."

Sango muffled a giggle. "Bad date?" She whispered conspiratorially.

"Something like that."

"I haven't seen you. You should try to straighten it out, though. You do have to work with him."

"Yes, but not today. I just need to think about some things a little longer. Anyway", Kagome pulled a small bundle from her purse. "On a somewhat related matter, I might have a solution to your Miroku-difficulties."

Sango accepted the proffered object with a puzzled frown. "An I-Pod?"

"My mom gave it to me last Christmas, but I never use it. It might not look professional long term, but for a little while I think everyone will understand. Next time he starts serenading you or similar nonsense, just turn this on. Sooner or later he'll get bored, and leave you alone. "

"Huh. Thanks, I'll give it a try." Kagome noticed that Sango looked less than thrilled, and realized it was possible that her friend was starting to enjoy Miroku's attentions.

On her way out, she took a chance by stopping at the break room to pick up coffee. As she was pouring some of the brew into a Styrofoam cup, the sound of the door opening heralded the arrival of one of her coworkers. With a sense of foreboding, Kagome turned.

"Hey, Davis", she said a little sadly. He didn't acknowledge her greeting, and walked closer as the door closed behind him. Kagome noticed that something about his gait was wrong. Actually, something about his _face_ was wrong. And in his left hand he was carrying a knife…

"Kagome! I have a bone to pick with you!" Miroku swung into the room, just she grabbed her purse off of the counter and the strange man took a swing at her head. She ducked and threw herself to the side, and the blow glanced painfully off her shoulder.

She heard the sound of a surprised exclamation from Miroku, but knew he was on the other side of the room and wouldn't be able to help her in time. Fortunately, she was a devout believer in the Scout Motto. She felt a hand grasping her hair, and twisted to face her attacker, Mace in hand.

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AN2: I've known several people with OCD, and none of them behaved at all like the media portrayal of obsessive compulsives. I hope I'm not offending anyone… I realize it's wildly OOC, but my rendition of InuYasha as a thirtyish human is probably even worse.

Anyway, I hope people are still enjoying this. If you have comments, complaints, or suggestions, just leave a review or message me. I've got more free time now, so I'll be responding to reviews :-)


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